JOHN
GOTTI JR.:John Gotti Jr. was born October
27, 1940 in Brooklyn,
New York.His days of crime started when he joined
street gangs and
committed
petty thefts as a young kid.Gotti’s
first arrest was at the age of 14 when he was caught trying to steal a
cement
mixer.He was able to talk his way out
of trouble by attributing the thief to a boyhood prank.Perhaps this incident served as a catalyst to
his negotiating skills in the face of trouble with the law and the
development
of his charm that would serve him throughout his life.

The
underworld became Gotti’s
playground after dropping out of school in the eighth grade.In 1966 one could find Gotti hijacking trucks
at the JFK airport for the Gambino family. After being released from
prison in
1969 for hijacking trucks, John Gotti earned the respect of Gambino
boss Carlo
Gambino when he was instrumental in aiding in avenging the death of
Gambino’s
nephew.The nephew had allegedly been
kidnapped and murdered by an Irish mobster named James McBratney.Two eyewitnesses saw the murder of McBratney
and Gotti was charged with first-degree murder.The
first-degree murder charge was reduced to
second-degree manslaughter.Gotti only
served two years for this crime.His
charm had once again played an
instrumental role in his interactions with the law.

CRIMINAL
CAREER: He was slippery,
yes, but
even the “Teflon Don” couldn’t escape justice forever. Despite
the nickname of “Teflon Don”, his luck
would eventually run out. In 1968 he was arrested for his role in a
plot to
steal thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and sent to prison.He was released in 1972.

By
the early 1980’s,
using Title III wiretaps, mob informants, and undercover agents the FBI
was
beginning to get clear insights into the Gambino family’s hierarchy and
activities. Strong cases were being made against the criminal
activities taking
place.In late 1985 as mob violence
spilled out on to the streets of Manhattan it was becoming clear that
Gotti’s
charm and criminal activities were about to come to an end.

On
the evening of
December 16, 1985, 70-year-old-mafioso Paul Castellano—thesuccessor of recently deceased Gambino boss
Aniello Dellacroce—was gunned down along with his number two in
command, Thomas
Bilotti, in front of Spark’s Steak House, a popular hangout for major
criminals.
Gotti, who’d been watching from a car at a safe distance, had one of
his men
drive him by the scene to make sure his deadly orders had been carried
out.

Within
two years, Gotti
was once again arrested for murder. Same story: he went to prison and
was out
in a few years. Soon after, he became a “made man” for the Gambino
family, one
of the five most powerful syndicates in the Big Apple. Gambling, loan
sharking,
and narcotics trafficking were his stocks in trade.

In
December 1990,
FBI agents and NYPD detectives arrested Gotti, and he was charged with
multiple
counts of racketeering, extortion, jury tampering, and other crimes.The judge ordered that the jurors remain
anonymous, identified only by number, so no one could pressure them.

On
April 2, 1992, after
13 hours of deliberation, the jury found Gotti guilty on 13 counts,
including
the ordering of the murders of Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti.On June 23, 1992, Judge I. Leo Glasser
sentenced Gotti to life imprisonment without possibility of parole. He
was sent
to the United States Penitentiary at Marion, Illinois,
where he was kept in a
cell 23 hours a day.While in prison
Gotti paid the Aryan Brotherhood $50,000 a year for protection.Gotti later offered $1000, 000 to the Aryan
Brotherhood to kill Walter Johnson, a black inmate who had brutally
beaten
him.The Aryan Brotherhood accepted
Gotti’s offer.

On
June 10, 2002 at
12:45 p.m. at the United States
Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri
Gotti died of throat
cancer.The Roman Catholic Diocese of
Brooklyn announced that Gotti’s family would not be permitted to have a
Mass of
Christian Burial but allowed Gotti’s family to have a Requiem after
burial.

Became
associated with the Gambino Family and became close to Underboss
Aneillo Dellacroce.

On
March 6, 1962 married Victoria DiGiorgion, by whom he had five children.

In
1969 he was sentenced to three years in prison for hijacking.

1970-1979

In
1973, he participated in the killing of James McBratney.McBratney was one of three kidnappers and murderers of
Manny Gambino, nephew to Carlo Gambino.

Gotti
was convicted of the murder and sentenced to seven years in prison.He only served two years.

Dying
Carlo Gambino boss of the Gambino family appointed Paul Castellano as
his successor.It was well known that
Gotti felt that Gambino should have appointed Dellacroces as his
successor and not Castellano.

Around
1978, Gotti was named a capo and continued to work in top ranks under
Neil Dellacroce.

1980-1989

John
Favara, a friend and neighbor of Gotti ran over and killed Gotti’s
12-year old son, Frank.The incident was
deemed an accident; however, four months later, Favara vanished and was
never seen again.

In
February 1985, Castelano and five Family bosses were indicted in the
Commission Case.During this same time,
Castellano gave Thomas Bilotti the capo position, which would put him
and Gotti on the same level.

In
December 1985, Dellacroce died of cancer.Two
weeks later Castellano and Bilotti were shot to death in Manhattan.

Gotti
becomes the Godfather of the Gambino Family, the largest Mafia family
in the nation.Gotti sets up his
headquarters in the Ravenite Social Club.

In
1986 Gotti is charged with racketeering but manages to elude
prosecution.

Gotti
becomes a media hound.He parades around
in expensive suites and is always ready to be photographed by the media.

The
press nicknamed Gotti “Dapper Don” because of his charismatic charm and
good looks.He is also named “Teflon Don”
because charges against him never seem to stick.

The
FBI manages to get RICO (Racketeer-Influenced Corrupt Organization Act
of 1970).

The
FBI bugs the Ravenite Social Club which eventually leads to a case
against Gotti on racketeering schemes.

Gotti
and several associates were arrested in 1990 and convicted by a jury in
the United States District Court in New York on April 2, 1992 for 13
counts of murder, loan sharking, racketeering, obstruction of justice,
illegal gambling, and tax evasion.

June
2, 2002, Gotti dies of throat cancer at the United
StatesMedicalCenter for Federal
Prisoners in Springfield,
Missouri.